Embracing Pain (Book Three)

Chapter 17

Deva woke up startled but the vision of her past was still so vivid. It was the night she helped Adamarius escape. He had taken her memory of it away and only now did it come back to her. It was probably due to the cell she was in. She was shackled to the wall like a prisoner waiting for the death penalty. She supposed that's how Adamarius felt; waiting to rot to death. She couldn't fathom how he did it, to be in solitude all those years, with no hope in sight. He was trapped to explore the treacherous domain of his regrets. 

She could understand the feeling now. She had regrets and they were haunting her every second. The future was unknown. King Alexander would wage war against her people and she was helplessly trapped. She was more than sure Darius would come for her. The anxiety of waiting was slowly crumbling her defenses. It felt like she was driving her kingdom to destruction. Hadn't she predicted she would those years ago? She never truly wanted to be queen. She was frightened of the idea of ruling and blindly leading her people to ruins. 

Deva now remembered the extreme measures she took to see Adamarius 5 years ago. She never once questioned her loyalty to her husband but that one night. It was hard; she recalled, those last few months without Adamarius. It was like a poison in her system, gradually killing her. But once Adamarius forced her to forget the way she felt about him all the pain and anguish was gone. 

It was like a stupid cliché story, falling in love with two guys. And brothers none the less. She couldn't believe how chaotic her life had gotten. 

The lock on the door clicked and Deva had her first visit from a guard. He was large, somewhat dazed, and didn't even greet her when he approached. He pulled out some keys and unlocked her chains. Now she was confused. Did Alexander change his mind and want to kill her sooner? 

But then another visitor came in and Deva partially smiled with relief. 

Adamarius crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Always getting in trouble. You're a queen now; this shouldn't happen as much as it does."

Deva rolled her eyes and rubbed her wrists. "I got to keep life interesting somehow."

Adamarius handed her fresh clean clothes. "I thought you'd like to smell anything other than dry blood."

She dropped her gaze to her nasty blood crusted clothes. Yeah maybe he was right, she thought. She took the clothes and pulled them over. 

"Where's Darius?" Why wasn't he here?

"Alexander threatened your son. Darius wants to be cautious and thorough with your escape plan. But we personally couldn't wait. They're planning something, tonight." Adamarius turned his back on her while she changed. 

"We?" She asked.

"Sebastian and Izzy are anxiously waiting for you outside." 

That motivated Deva to hurry up. She wanted to see her family. She wanted to go home to her husband and son. 

"What about him?" Deva pointed to the guard who was lingering pointlessly. 

Adamarius patted the guard's back. "He won't tell a soul because he knows I'll come back to haunt him." 

Adamarius' abilities still worked even with the relic moon. 

"How come you're not affected by the moon?" She was just temporarily weak. 

"Years of practice baby," he grinned. "You should be able to restore your powers soon. The last night of the relic moon was yesterday." 
That was good to hear. Deva could only imagine the revenge she was plotting against Alexander and Rathgaurd. They walked out of the room conspicuously and roamed the empty hallways. 

"Thank you," she whispered. 

"It was nothing. I'd find an excuse to come after you anytime." 

She grabbed his arm and forced him to halt. He looked down at her confused. They were running out of time. Who knew if Alexander figured out she was gone. 

"I remember now...the night I came to you before your escape." She searched his eyes. "Thank you for giving me the chance to live a happy life with my family. I know it was hard for you. I know the pain must have felt unbearable but thank you for doing it." 

She respected him more now. He put his selfish needs behind himself and let her have her happily ever after. God only knew how badly Adamarius wanted to be her happily ever after. He could have made her forget Darius completely too that night but he didn't. 

"You chose him. I love you Deva and nothing will change that. I couldn't take away the life you wanted to live, a life with him." Adamarius rubbed the back of his neck. "No matter how badly I wanted to make you forget him." 

Deva took his hand and continued to walk. "I love you too but I can't love you more than them." 

He squeezed her hand and decided that was enough. 




Darius watched as the sun was setting, turning the sky a florescent purple. The air was morbidly thick with hidden intentions. Darius knew Alexander would wage war with or without killing Deva. Either way he couldn't let that happen. Darius had to get his wife back. 

Everything was on the line; his kingdom, his people, his wife, and even his son. His next moves needed to be smart and effective. The absence of Deva was seriously leaving its mark on him. It was getting difficult to think clearly let alone breathe. She was his light and his reason, without her the insanity was quickly creeping in. 

Darius' firm grip on the banister caused the delicate architectural work to crack. His mind was somewhere else and for good reason he couldn't control himself. 

"Aww now what did that banister ever do to you?" Her sweet voice was like a dream.

It couldn't be her, could it? Darius pivoted and held his breath. Once Deva was in his sights his feet were already half way to her. 

"Deva..." He pulled her into his arms. Nothing felt more like home than in her embrace. 

"It's me," she whispered combing her fingers into his hair. 

He slightly pulled away to examine her face. "How did you get out? I would have-"

"It doesn't matter," she silenced him. "I'm here now."

He shook his head. "Deva I'm so sorry-" 

"No don't apologize. We all have our fair share of secrets." She caressed his worried ceases. 

Darius couldn't accept his previous behavior. "But you're my wife. I should always trust you." He dropped his gaze. "I was just still so angry about you and Adamarius." 

"Betrayal is the only sin that could kill a soul. It leaves its dark malicious print inside of you, infecting our minds like poison." 

For some reason he felt like she had a double meaning but before he could figure it out she crushed her lips against his. The fierce depth of pressure she was forcing into the kiss was an explosion of confusion. Something felt completely wrong about the intention and softness of her lips. Darius was so absorbed in his own jumbled up emotions that he didn't get much insight on how she felt. He tapped into her mind but what he heard wasn't Deva at all. 

He immediately shoved the imposter back. The Deva look alike purred and her pupils widened. 

"What's the matter baby?" She questioned. 

Was he wrong? Was he over reacting? She looked and sounded so much like his beloved. Maybe that was the idea, to confuse him. 

"Where's my wife?" He jerked her harshly. "Where's Deva?"

Her brows knitted together. "What are you talking about? I'm right here." 

She tried to sexually seduce him by running her hands up and down his body but Darius was finished playing games. His large hand wrapped around her fragile neck and crushed her throat. She struggled against him. He was not in the mood. 

"Who the hell are you?" He was positive she was the one on the surveillance tape. Darius wouldn't even be surprised if she was working with Alexander. 

"Just think of me as a thorn in your heart because technically that is what Deva is, isn't she? Always stabbing at your heart with your brother." Her high pitched evil laugh was only meant to plunge the stab deeper. 

Darius dug his nails into her skin, going for blood. "Keep it up and I will stab you repeatedly till you dying breath."

"Do you ever really think about it, like really really think about it? Deva pressed against Adamarius' chest while locked in a passionate kiss. Do you think she envisions you at that moment? Because you do have a very canny resemblance to your big brother." 

"You really want to die, don't you?" He threatened as the rage of the mire mention of his brother boiled inside of him. 

"Alone in a cave over night; I can just imagine all the naughty lustful possibilities. He caresses her breasts with the tip of his tongue." She threw back her head dramatically and started to moan. "Oh Adam, oh Adamarius, yes, yes-" 

Darius jabbed her head into the back wall and was sure to crack her skull. The Deva imposter groaned but with a smirk playing on her lips. 

"Show me your face," he growled maliciously. 

Darius watched as Deva's face morphed into Ilsa'. She was a royal and all royals had abilities but not everyone knew what they were. Ilsa was a shift shaper. 

"Surprise," she grinned. 

"Why?" He roared. "Why?"

"You of all people should know how it feels to have the one you love, love another. Perhaps now you know how my mother felt."

Darius couldn't believe it. All this for a stupid mistake he made years ago. He wanted to laugh at the ridiculous irony that happened to be his life. 

"You went through all this trouble for revenge?" His answer was in her blood thirsty eyes. "You should know your mother was a whore. She determined her own death sentence the moment she was unfaithful to your father." 

"You broke her heart then made your recent lover kill her in cold blood." 

Darius smashed her head against the wall again to get his point across. "Your father would have killed her regardless."

"The only reason you pursued Deva was for the crown. Your hunger to be king was the only light you saw at the end of all this." Ilsa snared.

"You're wrong but I don't have to prove myself to you. Where's my wife?" 

"Dead; soon I hope anyway. Alexander will no doubt kill her before slaughtering the lycan race completely."  

"When?" He shouted. 

"Why should I tell you? You won't get to her anyway. You're too late lover boy."  

He couldn't believe it. "All you wanted was to have Deva's death and Alexander wanted control and power over my kingdom." Darius gradually put the pieces together. 

"Precisely," she grinded her teeth.

"It's too bad you won't see that come true. Instead I'll help you join your mother." 

Darius snapped her head right of her shoulders without another thought. Ilsa's lifeless body fell to the floor and Darius threw her head into the fireplace. All he could think about was Deva. He had to find her. He had to get to her before Alexander did.